Why in news?
Digital arrest scams have surged across country in recent months, with daily headlines reporting large financial losses, arrests, and public outcry over banking lapses and law enforcement challenges.
 
What is Digital arrest?

• Digital arrest is a sophisticated cyber scam where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or government officials to intimidate victims into transferring money, using psychological coercion and fake evidence.

Cases and Financial Losses

• In 2022, there were 39,925 reported digital arrest scam cases, and victims lost ₹91.14 crore.
• By 2024, reported cases had tripled to 1,23,672, with losses soaring over ₹1,935 crore—a 21-fold increase from 2022.
• Just in the first two months of 2025, 17,718 cases were reported, resulting in losses of ₹210 crore.
• Bengaluru alone reported ₹572 crore in losses over 18 months, with 1,004 registered cases between 2024 and mid-2025—accounting for 80% of Karnataka’s victims.
• Nationally, digital arrest scams are estimated to cost over ₹2,000 crore ($240 million) annually.

Legal Provisions
While there are no specific laws for "digital arrest," the acts committed by the scammers fall under various provisions of law.

• Cheating: Scammers can be prosecuted for cheating by impersonation.
• Criminal Intimidation: The threats of arrest and legal consequences constitute criminal intimidation.
• Extortion: The act of demanding money through threats falls under extortion.
• Organized Crime: The BNS also has provisions to deal with organized crime syndicates involved in such cyber frauds.

• Identity Theft: Scammers are liable for identity theft and cheating by personation using a computer resource.

Government and Law Enforcement Response: 

• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): This is a central body that coordinates efforts to combat cybercrime nationwide. It operates the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: The public can report all types of cybercrimes, including digital arrest scams, on this portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or by calling the helpline number 1930.
• Awareness Campaigns: The government and financial institutions like banks are running campaigns through various media channels to educate the public about these scams.
• Blocking of Accounts: Authorities are working with telecom providers to block SIM cards, Skype IDs, and WhatsApp accounts used for these fraudulent activities.
• Financial Fraud Reporting: The "Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System" helps in the immediate reporting of financial frauds to stop the siphoning of funds.

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